New Report on High Speed Rail

A new report on High Speed Rail tells us yet again that their is an extreme need to invest in High Speed Rail, for not only the environmental aspects, but also economic.

The study talked about how in many countries high speed rail has reduced emissions, because if you run your transportation by energy that is renewable over fossil fuels you are reducing the emissions to transport goods and people as well. In fact the study states that High Speed Rail is 14 times less carbon intensive than car and 15 times less carbon intensive then airplanes. The proof of this is easily found in Spain a High Speed Rail train between Madrid and Seville reduced emissions by more then 48,000 tonnes of CO2.

On the economic aspect High Speed Rail has been proven to be very profitable and helps in tourism as it makes it easier to travel from one metropolitan city to another metropolitan city. In Lille France high Speed Rail helped to dramatically increase tourism in the city.

It's time to get rid of the studies and start building! It's so stupid that we should wait any longer to join the rest of the developed world.

High Speed Rail.... Study!

In Canada we are lagging behind when it comes to high speed rail. Europe has high speed rail and they have seen it to be very beneficial to the environment and the economy. High speed rail in Canada is profitable, and it is almost silly that we have to keep talking about it! It should be done and done now! We are one of the only developed countries in the world that doesn't have it. The Liberals support High speed rail, but with Harper Canada is moving backwards.

Thank you again Rick Mercer

Build HSR Now!

The newest study on high speed rail dating from an ancient January has been released. The findings are no surprise. Just like the other four studies done over the years this one supports building high speed rail along the Quebec City-Windsor corridor. We have the technology, Bombardier is a Canadian company and nothing is stopping us but politicians in Ottawa. We should build it and now.

QUEBEC — A study into the feasibility of a high-speed train link in the Windsor-Quebec City corridor shows the project could benefit the entire Canadian economy. 

The report conducted by the EcoTrain consortium — grouping Dessau, MMM Group, KPMG, Wilbur Smith & Associates, and Deutsche Bahn International — was released Monday by High Speed Rail Canada, an advocacy group which promotes the service.

Read more: http://www.canada.com/business/Study+says+high+speed+train+could+benefit+Canadian+economy/5561938/story.html#ixzz1b5tTyASx

Make Some Noise for Quiet Trains

High speed rail has not made much noise throughout this election campaign. It seems that parties are much more content to talk about the economy, health care, education and the usual instead of big infrastructure projects like bullet trains. Because apparently, Canadians are not concerned with fast transportation. They probably aren't, but high speed rail could provide many benefits to Canada and to parties that seek to talk more about it.

The economic benefits for Canada may not seem clear at first. Why would building a rail line spur permanent economic growth? Consider this: by making cities virtually closer together and therefore jobs much closer together, we will have a mobile workforce capable of getting from city centre to city centre much faster. This is in addition to the thousands of construction jobs created by the initial project and permanent jobs maintaining the rail line. Airplanes do not do this as airports are more frequently situated on city boundaries and not downtown like rail stations.

There are a few benefits I can think of for parties who seek to talk about high speed rail. Firstly, that party would be able to repeatedly show that as an example of their devotion to building a sustainable future for Canada. It would also show them as a party that will spur job creation and stimulate the economy. Finally, it would provide that party with that "vision" aspect that everyone wants. Supporting a project of this size to bring Canada closer together would surely benefit political parties.

So far, the only party that has talked at length about this issue is the Green Party. If others were to talk about it and commit to actually building high speed rail lines instead of study after study, they would, in my opinion garner more support.

While the idea of high-speed rail remains little more than a good idea along the Windsor-Quebec City corridor, it's a way of life in Japan. That country recently launched the "Huyabusa," a bullet train capable of speeds of 186 mph that's equipped with a businessclass carriage modelled on airliner cabins.

Read more at the Windsor Star.

Americans like High Speed Rail

A new poll in the United States shows that most Americans support high speed rail funded by public money. Again, another poll comes out showing that support for high speed rail is high, in the United States and Canada. This also comes at a time where Americans want more and more austerity. However, high speed rail must be funded in North America. Like the transcontinental railroad, we have an opportunity now to revolutionize transport all across the continent, creating a network of high speed rail across the US and Canada. This would improve the economy greatly as many new jobs would be created while providing travelers a more comfortable way of travel than the plane and a faster one than the car. It's time to invest in high speed rail.

NEW YORK, N.Y. - February 24, 2011 - President Obama announced in April 2009, and reconfirmed during his recent State of the Union address, his commitment to develop high-speed intercity passenger rail across the United States. 

High-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport between major cities that operates at substantially faster speeds than current intercity passenger trains in the U.S. It is designed to provide fast, reliable, and convenient service, operates using electric power and often includes onboard amenities such as food and beverage service and Wi-fi access.

Read the poll results here.

Related articles

• High-speed rail 'will bring £44bn to UK' (independent.co.uk)

Popular High Speed Rail

A survey done for the American Public Transportation Association shows that 62% of adults would use high speed rail if it were available to them. Only 11% would not use it. Again, another poll comes out assuring support in large numbers. Barack Obama has listened to these polls and to the experts and has proceeded to invest money in high speed rail. Stephen Harper has not. However, Ontario and Quebec have and there is a chance that they might use United States money to build high speed rail. However, that is speculation and would only happen if Democrats take back the House and retain control of the Senate. Building high speed rail would be a great achievement for Canada and the Conservatives would be able to garner support if they build this project.

Today U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced the distribution of $2.5 billion for high-speed rail projects nationwide, and the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) released the results of a large travel survey which shows that nearly two-thirds of adults (62 percent) said they would definitely or probably use high-speed rail service for leisure or business travel if it were an option. The survey, among 24, 711 adults, was conducted for APTA by Synovate.

Read the full results of the survey here.

Related articles

• Trainwreck: Canada's high-speed rail failure (ctv.ca)
• Yes, High Speed Rail is Still On the Way (treehugger.com)

Canada's Trainwreck

It has been almost fifty years since Japan has launched its Shinkansen, the first high speed rail line in the world and Canada now finds itself the only country in the G8 without a high speed rail network of some sort. This would allow for a two hour trip between Montreal and Toronto, instead of the present five to eight hours.
In 2009, EKOS found out that 88% of Canadians support high speed rail coming to Canada. That is because the benefits are clear. Besides providing more jobs and enriching the economy, high speed rail is ridiculously safe and punctual, with many countries offering a refund if a train is more than five minutes late. It provides a rival to polluting cars and airplanes, reducing transportaiton emissions. Investing in high speed rail would be a good thing for Canada. The studies are done, the benefits are clear. It's time to start building.

Dedicated high-speed rail lines are ridiculously efficient -- at least in Japan. Officials there point out that trains are punctual down-to-the-minute, even with 300 million riders a year.

They're safe. There has not been a single fatality in either the Japanese or French system. An average of seven Canadians die in road accidents every day.

Environmentally, there is no better way to move a large amount of people, unless someone builds a really, big bike.

Read more at CTV.

Pension Plans own High Speed Rail

The Ontario Teachers Pension Plan and Borealis teamed up to buy the high speed rail link between London and the Channel tunnel. They now get to operate the link for thirty years. Of course, this changes nothing about the situation in Canada. We still don't have high speed rail. It's a bit ironic that Canadian investors are investing in high speed rail in foreign countries, but politicians are still unwilling to accept that high speed rail does make money and will help us. High speed rail should come to Canada and fast. It should be part of Canada's plan for the future.

The Channel tunnel rail link has become the latest piece of British infrastructure to be snapped up by acquisitive Canadian pension funds.

Two of Canada's largest pension funds, the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan and Borealis, the infrastructure investment arm of the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (Omers), have paid £2.1bn to operate Britain's only high-speed railway line for the next 30 years. It is the first privatisation deal done by the coalition government as it sets about slashing Britain's record debt.

Read more at the Guardian.

Related articles

• Canadians To Buy Channel Tunnel Rail Link (news.sky.com)
• Teachers, Borealis win U.K. rail deal (theglobeandmail.com)
• Canada's pension plans win Channel Tunnel rail link (financialpost.com)

China Lives the Train

Mitch Moxley traveled to China to experience the Chinese train. According to his article in the Globe and Mail, it's very different form Canadian trains. It's like a mini village. Everyone is always busy doing something, socializing or doing whatever. The train is a popular way to travel and it its getting faster in China as the country is committed to expanding its high speed rail network. The train truly plays a big part of people's lives in China. In Canada, what the government can do is decrease travel time by train and start building high speed rail if it wants to attract people to take a better way to travel.

By 7 a.m., the train is alive. Old men climb from their berths, stretch and yawn. Young women shuffle to the steel sinks at the end of the car to brush their teeth. The televisions mounted to the walls of each cabin are soon turned on – at full volume – playing a low-budget Chinese historical epic. Before long, the grumpy attendants are back pushing carts down the aisle, selling fruit, toothbrushes and fried chicken in vacuum-sealed packages.

Read more at the Globe and Mail.

Related articles

• High-speed future (news.bbc.co.uk)

Via to "Get Act Together"

After a freight train derailed, the CEO of Via Rail Canada said that upgrades will improve service in the Quebec City-Windsor corridor. This is all fine and the rebuilding of rolling stock is welcome, but we still need high speed rail. If it were to come to life, Via Rail would be glad to operate it. High speed rail would make a lot of money for Via Rail and would allow trains to hav their own right of way so that they can have more frequent departures and not have to wait for freight trains. High speed rail must come to Canada. If only this government would bring it to life...

MONTREAL - Marc Laliberte, who took over last January as CEO of Via Rail, had a message yesterday for the public and Canadian National Railway Co. just after a freight train derailed near Cornwall, forcing Toronto-Montreal passenger trains to be rerouted through Ottawa for delays of 90 minutes or more.

Read more at the Montreal Gazette.

New High Speed Rail in the Swiss

In Switzerland a 14 year project to make the longest rail tunnel in the world. Switzerland now has it's new high speed rail that will help with new traffic problems in the future. The EU commission projects that traffic will grow by as much as 75% by 2010. High speed rails not only will it help save the planet, but it is needed to make travel faster and ore substantial. In Canada we are taking a much more slower approach. Everyone in the world has high speed rails except us. Russia, China, Japan, E-U and even the U.S has started investing in it. We are going to be very far behind soon. Canada wants and needs a high speed rail.

Construction has Started

High Speed Rail lines are already under construction in Illinois! However, this is only the first part of the upgrade which will now allow trains to travel at about 180 km/h. Hopefully, there will be many more lines to come both in the US and Canada.

ALTON, Ill. (AP) - Illinois political leaders say construction now under way on part of a planned high-speed rail line linking St. Louis and Chicago is a job-creating first in the country.

Gov. Pat Quinn told reporters in Alton on Friday that upgrades planned between that Mississippi River city and the central Illinois community of Lincoln are the nation's first involving high-speed rail.

Read more here.

$50B Transportation Stimulus

Yesterday, Obama announced a new stimulus for the American economy. This is a long-term spending plan on transportation meant to create long-term jobs, whereas, the other US stimulus was designed to create immediate jobs. Included in this plan is building 4000 miles of railways. As a railfan, I couldn't be happier that high speed rail is going to be funded. If the US starts constructing high speed rail, Canada could follow. Not only that, but this could be partly paid for by the end of tax breaks for big oil. Unfortunately, this plan might not pass. With the elections coming up, Democrats might lose their seats and we can expect a lot of Republican resistance. High speed rail must come to the United States and Canada to support the economy of tomorrow.

WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama is asking Congress to approve at least $50 billion in long-term spending on the country’s roads, railways and runways in a pre-election effort to show he’s trying to stimulate the sputtering economy.

The infrastructure spending is part of a package of targeted proposals the White House announced on Monday. With November’s elections for control of Congress approaching, Obama planned to discuss the proposal later Monday at an event in Milwaukee marking the U.S. Labor Day holiday.

Read more at the Toronto Star and the Globe and Mail.

Canada Needs High Speed Rail

Heather Mallick writes about the sale of the high speed rail lines in the UK and that Canada needs high speed rail. With high speed rail, everyone wins. It creates jobs, both temporary and permanent and will protect the environment. It's a faster way of travel than the car, yet it doesn't come with all the inconveniences of flying. he UK shouldn't be selling off its high speed rail lines. They will prove useful for the future. It's much better if passenger rail transport is watched over by the government. That's as long as it does a good job. In Canada, Via Rail has gone through a series of heavy budget cuts which forced it to close down many train routes. With many countries seeing the benefits of high speed rail, it is obvious that it's the way of the future. Canada must invest now. By the way, Canada is the only country of the G8 that doesn't have a high speed rail system and one of four in he G20 that doesn't have a high speed rail system. (h/t)

It is ironic to hear Brits bemoaning the possible sale of their one rather dishy fast railway track – High Speed One from St Pancras International to the Channel Tunnel – to a bunch of retired Canadian teachers. It's too late for Britain now. Any society that would allow the sale of its phone, electricity, gas and water to private companies, particularly foreigners, decades ago and then complain about losing Cadbury chocolates... well, your values are skewed.

So are Canadian values, which is where the irony comes in. We'd love it if our teachers bought a high-speed rail line from us. If we had one to sell, which we don't.

Read more at the Guardian.

Fast Trains without Federal Help

During a joint cabinet meeting between Ontario and Quebec in Quebec City, both premiers said that they might go ahead with high speed rail even if the federal government is not willing to fund it. In fact, they might use American money to fund high speed rail.

“It would, after all, be ironic if we actually did more with the federal government of the United States than we did with the federal government of Canada on developing a fast train.”

Charest is completely correct. Obama spent 8 billion on rail infrastructure this year and it is obvious more is coming. It's great that the leaders of these two provinces have the insight to capitalise on the spending of money for trains. Too bad Harper doesn't. We could have a North American train network by the end of the decade. High speed rail is coming to Canada and even Premier Dalton McGuinty knows it. It's just a question of when.

Ontario's Dalton McGuinty added: "When we build this line (in the Quebec City-Windsor corridor), it's more than just connecting 16 million Canadians, strengthening our regional economy, better protecting our regional environment. It's going to plug us in to a North American network of high-speed rail."

Notice that he said, "when," not "if." High speed rail is in the making and I'd be really proud of Quebec and Ontario if they choose to plow full speed on without federal money.

Read more at the Montreal Gazette.

Tourists like Fast Trains

Less tourists are visiting Canada and according to CEO of the Tourism Industry Association, it's because of the "neglect" that that policy makers have been showing. Government thinks that tourists will just appear on Canadian soil because Canada is so great. However, the infrastructure for tourists isn't good in Canada. There is no real alternative to the airplane; high speed rail doesn't exist in Canada. The truth is, tourists like rail travel. Canada has failed to invest in high speed rail and therefore, has failed to attract more tourists. Many countries have decided to include high speed rail as a crucial part of their plan to move into the future. Even the United States, perceived by many as a car nation, is investing billions in high speed rail. Many states look forward to start constructing soon. The Harper government credits itself with being strong on the economy. If it was, it would start planning and building high speed rail lines immediately.

The summer season is approaching, and millions of vacationers from around the world are about to pile into planes in search of that perfect holiday. Unfortunately, many of them will head to places other than Canada.

David Goldstein, president and CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, has collected some alarming data: Between 2002 and 2008, Canada dropped like a stone in the ranking of tourism destinations.

Read more at the Ottawa Citizen.

High Speed Rail in an Editorial

Yesterday, there was an editorial in the Ottawa Citizen saying that high speed rail should be a high priority in provincial and federal government. This is the first time I've seen a Canadian newspaper write that in an editorial. It's good that more organisations are pushing for high speed rail in Canada. There have been many studies done on fast trains in the Quebec City-Windsor corridor. All of them have suggested that we build high speed rail. Even South Africa opened a high speed rail line. Only good can come out of high speed rail. If Harper wants to work with the Americans so much, he should invest in high speed rail because Obama just spent billions in rail infrastructure. Rail transport is the way of the future and we are going to be left behind if we don't start planning soon.

However, fighting traffic to and from airports takes valuable time. So too does security and boarding waits. Weather throws another wrench in the machinery.

High-speed rail is much more efficient. Maybe that's why the Obama administration is pursuing that mode of transportation as a way of linking U.S. cities.

When public and private officials go looking for the next big project for Ontario, intercity high-speed rail should be high on the agenda.

Read more at the Ottawa Citizen.

High Speed Rail in Africa

Africa's first high speed rail link will open tomorrow in South Africa for the World Cup. There was problems with getting the rail line built but nevertheless, a certain part of it will open. Just as it has proven in other countries, the officials say that it will reduce congestion between Johannesburg and Pretoria. A ticket for this segment of the line will only cost about $5 CAD. Meanwhile, we Canadians are still waiting for high speed rail. There wasn't even a rail link between Vancouver and Whistler for the Olympics. If South Africa can build high speed rail for World Cup Soccer, what was stopping us from building a link for the Olympics? Studies have shown high speed rail is viable in Canada, especially from Vancouver to Portland (Amtrak Cascades), Calgary-Edmonton, and the Corridor (Quebec City to Windsor). We should have high speed rail lines in all of these areas. It can only help us advance into the future for a better economy and environment.

But authorities in Gauteng province, the country's economic powerhouse which includes both Johannesburg and Pretoria, say it will help transform the lives of traffic-frazzled commuters and draw in long-term investment.

"This is going to be an asset and property of the people of South Africa for generations to come," she added.

 Read more at the Sydney Morning Herald.

Canada's Big Bombardier

Bombardier is a Canadian company that manufactures many rail products. Unfortunately, we are not taking advantage of the fact that we have one of the world leaders in high speed rail in our country. However, others are. In China, Bombardier is being contracted to build multiple Zefiro trains for China's ever-growing high speed rail network. In fact, in a few years China will have more track than the rest of the world put together. There have been many studies on high speed rail in Canada and all have proven that high speed rail is a plus. It makes a profit, cuts travel time and goes from city centre to city centre which helps the economy (I won't explain it here). It's time Canada takes advantage of Bombardier and builds high speed rail.

Personally, I wish he would turn it around and send it straight north to Canada, where high-speed rail makes so much sense politicians don’t seem to know what to make of it.

U.S. President Barack Obama has announced $8-billion (U.S.) in grants toward producing a national high-speed intercity rail service. In Canada, where studies have endlessly and consistently promoted high-speed connections through the Windsor-Quebec City corridor, including a “spur” line up to Ottawa, and between Calgary and Edmonton, there is never anything but lip service to future possibilities. The Canadian government has committed nearly $1-billion (Canadian) to VIA Rail upgrades and infrastructure, but still no firm commitment to go the way of the rest of the world.

Read more at the Globe and Mail.

First Priority: High Speed Rail

Professor Nesbitt-Larking says that high speed rail should be our top national spending priority. We remain the only G8 country without it. All the other ones have felt it necessary for their future economic ambitions. Building high speed rail would help Canada's economy now, and our future economy. We must get moving on high speed rail now, at least in two corridors: Quebec City to Windsor and Calgary to Edmonton. The US is already on the move as it is considering building high speed rail on the Amtrak Cascades line (Vancouver-Eugene). HSR is a must for Canada.

The development of high-speed rail in Canada should be our top national spending priority. It is almost inconceivable that Canada remains the only G8 country without it. Adding a cruel twist of irony is the fact that Bombardier, a Canadian company, has been an innovative contributor to successful European HSR initiatives.

Read more at the Mark and CTV.